Chapter 167: "I’m Back."
’Soren?!’
The moment Ethea spoke via their bond, Soren’s eyes snapped open, revealing pupils that were drowned in a pool of pitch-red blood.
For a second, he looked entirely blinded, but then the heavy crimson fluid began to vibrate under an invisible force. The liquid lifted away from his corneas, flowing out of his eyes in thin, controlled streams that floated into the air, instantly leaving his gaze completely clear and sharp.
Then, taking a deep breath, Soren turned his head back toward Ethea and smiled as gently as his battered state allowed.
"Ethea... I’m back."
Looking right at him, the tension in Ethea’s expression melted away as she offered a soft smile and a gentle inclination of her head.
"Welcome back."
For a fleeting second, the two became completely lost in each other’s eyes, an unspoken flood of relief and raw emotion passing between them as if the rest of the world had ceased to exist. Yet, before either of them could utter another word, the vehicle violently jolted as something slammed directly into the car, nearly collapsing the frame under the sheer force of the blow.
Soren instantly unleashed a wave of his mana, wrapping the energy tightly around two women to protect them from the impact.
At the same time, his senses spread outward to analyze the situation. He immediately picked up the silhouette of a man who had just bounced hard off the car, alongside a chaotic swarm of monsters pressing in and another presence holding the line ahead.
’Drake?’
The realization snapped him into motion. Turning his head back toward the interior, he gave a quick, reassuring look. "Stay inside. I’ll help them."
Without waiting for a reply, he threw the car door open and stepped straight into the howling chaos outside. Ripping a pair of mana potions from his storage ring, he downed them in quick succession, the cool fluid instantly rushing through his veins to kickstart his almost depleted reserves.
Using Quick Step, he appeared right beside the groaning man who was still reeling from the impact against the vehicle.
He reached down, pulling him up by the shoulder while simultaneously pressing a recovery vial into his mouth. "Drink this."
Leo swallowed the fluid, but instead of moving right away, he stared up at Soren. He took in the bloodstains and the sheer exhaustion etched into the younger hunter’s face, yet he could already feel a fierce, unyielding battle intent radiating from him.
Leo frowned. "Are you sure?"
"Don’t worry about me," Soren replied, his eyes fixed on the frontline. "I’ll just be supporting you two from here."
"Huh? You are a Support?" Leo asked, his brow furrowing in pure confusion.
Instead of answering, Soren manifested a barrage of ice arrows in the air and sent them launching toward the incoming gargoyles. The frost shards struck them but did little damage, merely slowing their advance.
"We don’t have time," Soren stated flatly.
"Ah, right." Leo nodded, quickly standing up as the potions he just drank took effect, sending a wave of fresh energy through his body. Without wasting any moment, he immediately channeled his mana, unleashing a fierce tornado toward the cluster of incoming monsters to forcefully push them back.
To his shock, the output of his attack flared violently. The gale erupted with twice its normal strength, creating a deafening boom that pinned the gargoyles hard against the far side of the tunnel walls.
"What the-!"
Leo stared at his hands for a fraction of a second, then quickly glanced over his shoulder at Soren. Realizing what had happened, any lingering doubts about how a heavily injured hunter could help them vanished completely in that single moment.
"I’m leaving my back to you!" Leo shouted over the noise, and with a grin, he pivoted and charged straight back into the fray.
Soren watched from his position by the car, already focusing his attention further down the tunnel. He channeled his mana once more, casting an Amplification directly onto Drake just as the man unleashed a spinning axe technique. Enhanced by Soren’s ability, the sweeping strikes instantly shredded the gargoyles into pieces.
"The f*ck?" Drake froze for a fraction of a second, completely dumbfounded by the explosive output of his own attack. As if sensing the origin of the sudden surge, he threw a sharp look in Soren’s direction, his brow furrowing before he gave a dismissive nod. Then, without even looking up, Drake drove his fist straight upward, smashing a gargoyle that had been sneaking down from the tunnel ceiling.
’...He’s good,’ Soren thought, realizing Drake’s fifth-circle cultivation and B-rank hunter status definitely weren’t just for show.
His eyes then landed on the massive bear magic beast currently clashing with an oversized gargoyle. Soren immediately cast an Amplification on the bear’s strength right as the two colossal forces collided. Empowered by the buff, the bear shattered the gargoyle’s stone-grip with a deafening roar, ripping its jaws wide open before tearing its wings and arms off and finally putting an end to its life by destroying its core.
The sight of the beast briefly brought Raine to his mind, but he quickly cleared his head. ’She said we’ll meet again. I just have to wait until then.’
"Huff..."
With his focus reaching its peak, Soren took complete control of the surrounding battlefield, applying Amplifications precisely where they were needed most. At the same time, he kept a vigilant eye on the car, striking down a few tricky gargoyles that tried to sneak past the front line to reach the vehicle with the help of the other, flying magic beast.
However, the mental toll of the brutal battle he had just fought within his own mind and body began to rapidly build up. His vision blurred, and his legs finally gave out, forcing him down onto his knees as a fresh trail of blood began to seep from his nose.
Soren clicked his tongue, wiping the blood away as he forced his gaze forward. Thankfully, the waves of monsters were almost completely dealt with.
’I should probably stop now,’ he thought, exhaling a ragged breath. ’But...’
A nagging suspicion kept at him. Whoever orchestrated these targeted attacks was still pulling the strings from the shadows, waiting to drop the next trap. Refusing to let his guard down, he pushed his senses outward, scouring the area for any hidden ambushes or lingering threats.
Suddenly, a violent alarm blared within his mind, and his eyes snapped wide open.
"Everyone!" Soren shouted, his voice echoing through the tunnel. "Protect yourselves!"
